Referring to the fire as an 'accident', Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean of KEM hospital, said the child suffered 22 per cent burns.
Prince Rajbhar before he suffered the 22 per cent burns
A two-month-old boy, who was in a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU) at KEM, suffered burns after a fire broke out there around midnight on Wednesday. While the baby, who suffered extensive burns, is currently being closely monitored, senior civic officials said the fire was caused by the ECG cables and an inquiry will be carried out by the civic body's Mechanical and Electrical Department.
Relatives of the boy, named Prince, including his father Pannelal Rajbhar, said they were sleeping outside the ICU when the fire started. "We didn't know until the nurse came out and told us about the fire. Our child has a hole in his heart and we brought him here for treatment. We just want the doctors to save his life," said Rajbhar who works as a driver in Delhi.
ADVERTISEMENT
Rajbhar said his family lives in Varanasi and Prince is his only child. He added that he came to Mumbai for his son's treatment with the help of a relative who lives in Wadala.
Referring to the fire as an 'accident', Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean of KEM hospital, said the child suffered 22 per cent burns and the hospital staff was able to douse the fire within minutes using blankets. "The baby was admitted to the ICU two days ago and he also had a chest infection. He was placed in a ventilator. Around midnight, a fire broke out in the ECG cables possibly due to a short circuit," said Deshmukh.
He said the fire spread to the mattress and the surrounding area. "The baby suffered burns on his arm, shoulder and scalp. His condition is now stable and he is being kept in the ICU where plastic surgeons and paediatricians are treating him," he said.
When contacted, Ashwini Joshi, additional municipal commissioner, said that an inquiry had been ordered in the matter.
"The primary report showed that the electric nodes had melted. The inquiry will be conducted by the Mechanical and Electrical department to determine whether it was an electrical fault," she said.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
